Tournament
by Ueste
Summary: Yuuko forces Watanuki into a competition in the spirit world, with Doumeki as his trainer. Three guesses what the pairing is.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** Well here's my first xxxholic fic. I was going to post some other stuff first, but this just suddenly came to me. I only have the first and last chapters thought out, which means very rare updates, so don't be counting on it (though reviews equal faster writing). This is also the first story I haven't read over a hundered times before posting, so I apologize for any typos, OOC, or just awkward phrasings. Let me know if you see anything and I'll try to fix it. I hope you enjoy!

**Summary:** Yuuko forces Watanuki into a competition in the spirit world, with Doumeki as his trainer. Three guesses what the pairing is.

**Pairings:** Doiumeki x Mokona . Wait! Don't kill me! I'm joking. It's Doumeki x Watanuki (duh)

**Warnings: **Very intermitant updates ahead. Over-use of capitals. Shonen-ai, but nothing beyond kissing.

**Rating: **Teen for 'Nuki-language and aforementioned x's

**Disclaimer:** If they were mine, I wouldn't be writing this.

* * *

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WANT ME TO FIGHT FOR YOU?!?!" Watanuki shouted deafeningly.

"Just that." Laughed Yuuko. " There's a tournament coming up and I want you to fight in it."

"BUT I -- "

"What type of tournament is it? Doumeki interrupted

"DON'T INTERUPT WHEN A GUY'S TALKING!"

"It's in the spirit world. Sort of a wrestling match, but the actual objectives won't be announced until the start of the competition."

"YOU EXPECT ME TO FIGHT WHEN I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE POINT IS?!"

Yuuko leaned conspiratorially in towards Doumeki, "And, there's this great betting system set up, so I can -- "

"YOU MEAN YOU'RE JUST BEING GREEDY!?"

Watanuki stumbled as Doumeki reached up and slapped the back of his head. "Oi, shut up."

* * *

Watanuki grumbled to himself all the way home. He grumbled about how unfair everything was. He grumbled about how he had absolutely no chance of defeating any spirit, even with training. He grumbled about how there was only a month to train. Mostly he grumbled about how Yuuko-san had asked Doumeki to train him without even asking his own opinion. But what he really grumbled about was the fact that Doumeki had agreed.

* * *

Watanuli watched uncertainly as Doumeki laid out a large circle of white ribbon, tacking it to the temple floor every few feet to hold it down. 

"This is just to see where you are, so we can figure out where to start your training" Doumeki explained as he worked.

Usually Watanuki would have pointed out that _he_ knew exactly where he was: hopeless. But as punishment for being slapped in the head and forced into training against his will, he had decided he wasn't talking to Doumeki.

Doumeki finished laying out the circle and stood up. "Ok, you have ten minutes." He sat down in the middle of the circle.

Watanuki gave a sigh, _so much for the silent treatment_, and grudgingly asked: "Ten minutes to do what?" using the most annoyed tone in his large collection of very annoyed tones.

"To try and get me outside of the ribbon"

Watanuki just stared at the larger boy for a moment until his voice returned. "Get you . . . outside of . . . the ribbon?"

"Yes. You have," Doumeki checked the timer on his watch, "eight minutes."

"HOW THE HELL DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO THAT!!!!!"

"Seven minutes, 47 seconds."

"All right, all right," Watanuki grumbled, "just let me think a minute, ok?" He studied Doumeki and the circle. There was _no way_ he was going to be able to move the other boy. But he _could_ . . .

Doumeki watched Watanuki crouch down and do something to the patch of ribbon in front of him. He worked along a length of ribbon, hiding his actions with his body.

"Four minutes"

Watanuki ignored his. A few seconds later he gave a yank. About half of the ribbon came free of the floor and flew over Doumeki's head, settling down to re-close the no-longer-circle-shaped circle behind Doumeki. Watanuki tacked it down with some of the tacks he'd removed from before.

Watanuki smugly stood up and walked over to stand in front of Doumeki. He bent over so he could better point a finger in the others face. "You," he said, "are outside of the ribbon."

Doumeki watched this show impassively. _Damne it, Watanuki, that wasn't the _point Ok, impassively on the outside. He stood up calmly. "Good. At least you are somewhat capable of using that brain of yours."

"What the HELL is that supposed to mean!" Watanuki yelled.

Doumeki ignored him as he returned the circle to its original state of circle-ness. He took the tacks out of Watanuki's hand without asking.

"WHAT do you think you're doing! LOOK at a guy when he's talking to you! You are such an IDIOT!" was Watanuki's response.

"Alright, lets try something different. Try and keep me in the circle." Doumeki was very, very careful to say _circle_ instead of _ribbon_, to keep Watanuki from doing something similar to last time.

"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO -- " Watanuki stopped as Doumeki reached the edge of the circle and stepped out of it.

"Try again." Doumeki went back to the center of the circle and reset the ten-minutes on his watch. "Go." he said (without any emphasis, as usually, noticed Watanuki). He started walking to the edge of the circle.

Watanuki rushed over to stand in front of the other boy. Doumeki didn't even bother going around him, but pushed him out of the way and stepped outside the circle. "Obviously not."

Watanuki didn't bother asking for clarification of the obscure statement. He could think of enough answers without Doumeki's help. Obviously your not strong enough. Obviously you're an idiot. Obviously this _isn't working_. Obviously whatever spirit you fight is going to beat completely embarrass you.

Watanuki looked on dejectedly as Doumeki stood in though. He was sad and tired and annoyed and felt bad that he was causing Doumeki so much trouble. And as he hated feeling this way, he decided to get mad instead. "WELL HOW COULD YOU EXPECT ME TO STOP YOU?! YOU'RE LIKE TEN TIMES MY SIZE! I - "

"The spirit you fight might be bigger"

"DON'T INTERUPT ME WHEN I'M . . .wait, what?"

"Yuuko-san said she didn't know what type of spirit you'd be fighting. It could be as big as that snake ontop of the school roof." (Doumeki hadn't actually seen the snake, of course, but had often heard Watanuki's descriptions).

Watanuki paled. For some reason he'd assumed he'd be fighting one of the human-like spirits. Like the Ame-warashi or something. Something like the snake . . .

Suddenly images of every spirit he'd ever seen went flashing through his head. Every large, strong, hideous spirit that had chased him down . . .

Doumeki watched silently as Watanuki started to shake. He hated seeing the other boy so scared, but maybe now he'd get serious about this training. He hesitated, wondering if he should try and comefort his friend, but knew he'd only get pushed away. Watanuki would yell at him for just saying something, let alone the kind of comforting that Doumeki wanted to do . . ._stop it_ he told himself. _Fantasize after he's gone_.

Watanuki's thoughts were finally halted when Doumeki spoke.

"Alright, try this. _You_ try and get out of the circle."

Watanuki opened his mouth to yell a protest but as a couple more pictures of spirits flashed through his head he changed his mind and walked quietly to the center of the circle. Doumeki reset his watch. "Start."

Watanuki looked about him, trying to see a way around the boy in front of him. If he dodged that way . . . but no, Doumeki would just. –

A blow to his head sent him reeling, collapsing onto the floor as the room whorled about him. When his vision cleared he saw Doumeki standing above him, looking for all the world like he hadn't just about knocked Watranuki out.

"You lost." said Doumeki, "Don't just stand there thinking. Your opponent won't wait until you have a plan to act. Try again."

Watanuki silently watched the other boy retreat to the edge of the circle and restart his watch. "Go."

Watanuki raced up from his position on the floor and ran to Doumeki's left. Doumeki simply stood in front of him and blocked his path. Watanuki dodged right – Doumeki blocked him again. Watanuki did an about face and ran to the other side of the circle. Before he could get there, Doumeki's hand closed around his wrist, yanking him back. Watanuki struggled for a moment, clawing at Doumeki's fingers. Finally he threw his wait at the other boy, hoping to knock the both outside of the ribbon. Doumeki took one, single step back. He grabbed Watanuki's other wrist and pulled down. Watanuki found himself sitting on the floor, arms crossed in front of him and himself being pulled down and back against Doumeki by the other's grip on his wrists. He struggled and tugged, but couldn't break the grip. Finally Doumeki's watch went off, signaling the end of the ten minutes, and he was released.

Doumeki gave a large sigh. "Well at least now we know where you're at."

The words 'utterly, completely, and totally hopeless' ran through Watanuki's head, but he didn't dare ask where he was truley at. It could be something worse.


	2. Chapter 2

Doumeki gave a sigh as Watanuki finally left. Yes, finally. As in a long time after he should have. Because he had somehow managed to find out that Doumeki was planning on having takeout for dinner and refused to allow it.

Not that Doumeki minded having another one of Watanuki's delicious meals. But it was kind of hard to concentrate on the wonderful food with Watanuki sitting just across the table from him.

_Ok, Doumeki,_ he told himself, _You are NOT doing that again. Ever. You will train him without any sort of wrestling or pinning involved. You will not allow him to distract you from the training. And you will not fantasize about him when he is anywhere in the area. Got it?_

_Yes, _he dutifully answered himself, _I promise, no more._

_Good_.

Doumeki realized he must be really bored to be having a conversation with himself. At least things were more interesting with Watanuki around.

* * *

"What's the point of this again?" Watanuki asked doubtfully, eyeing the tennis ball in Doumeki's hand. He'd been dragged out to the park to practice something or other.

"Improved hand-eye co-ordination"

"And I need that because . . .?"

"You're clumsy"

Watanuki thought at this point he should break into a shouting lecture about being too frank, but was more concerned about the very hard-looking ball and the powerful arm holding it.

"Ready?"

Watanuki nodded hesitantly. There was a thunk on the tree behind him. He turned to see the ball lying here. As he'd thought, all that archery had given Douneki a very powerful pitch.

Watanuki picked up the ball and turned to face Doumeki again. The other looked very hard like he was trying to suppress a groan of exasperation.

"Don't look at me like that! It's not my fault you throw to hard!"

"Just throw the ball back."

Watanuki did so. _Himawari would never be like this,_ he though huffily, _Himawari would throw it gently and lightly and –_

"Oi! Stop zoning out."

"I wasn't zoning out! And my name is not 'oi'!"

"Stay focused on your goal. Catch the ball!"

Many tosses and not very many catches later, Watanuki was about ready to throw the ball in the trash. But knowing Doumeki, he'd just fish it out and still expect Watanuki to catch it. So instead Watanuki just threw the ball very angrily back at Doumeki after missing it yet again.

Watanuki's aim was off, and he ball went several feet to Doumeki's left. The other lunged to grab it; but he missed, and slipped on something in the grass. He fell back, hitting his head with a loud _thunk_ on the hard sidewalk at the edge of the park.

"Hey, are you alright? Doumeki? Doumeki!" Watanuki ran to the fallen boy, who didn't respond. He lay silent on the ground, eyes closed as if in sleep.

"Hey, Doumeki!" Watanuki grabbed his shoulders and shook him, starting to panic. At least there didn't seem to be any blood. But Doumeki wasn't moving at all. If he'd hit his head too hard, gotten a bad concussion . . .Watanuki looked around desperately. He had to get help, but he didn't want to leave Doumeki alone. There was a pay phone a few yards away, and Watanuki desperately checked his pockets. He didn't have any change.

Doumeki's breathing was shallow now, barely noticeable. It seemed like it would stop at any moment. _No!_ Watanuki felt tears pool in his eyes. He didn't know what to do! This wasn't the fault of some spirit he could hunt down. There was no spell to make everything better. Doumeki was really hurt, and he couldn't do a thing!

"Watanuki! Doumeki-kun!" Yuko's voice rang from across the park.

"Yuko-san!" Watanuki looked up, and was amazed at how fast the site of his employer added a drop of hope to his despair.

"Oh, dear" Yuko had finally gotten close enough to see what had happened. "Watanuki, help me lift him." Together they got Doumeki up onto a park bench.

"Will he be all right?" Watanuki asked nervously. Doumeki was a little less pale; was he getting better?

"Probably." Said Yuko, "He just got a mild concussion."

"P-probably?" Watanuki stammered "Shouldn't we call a doctor or something?"

"By the time one gets here it'll either be too late or he'll be fine."

For some reason this wasn't reassuring at all.

* * *

**AN: What did you think? Please review! I love all criticism.**


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